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| Architecture & Fine-arts |
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Traditional Sculpture
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In the realm of traditional art, Vietnamese sculpture has had a significant history of development. Vietnamese sculpture has been heavily influenced by the three traditional religions, Taoism, Confucianism, and Buddhism, which come from neighboring countries China and India. Examples of early Vietnamese sculpture can be found in common houses, temples, and pagodas.
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The main categories of Vietnamese sculpture
include:
The sculpture of the Funan and Champa
kingdoms in South Vietnam
The sculpture of the Chams in Central
Vietnam
The sculpture of the Dai Viet in North
Vietnam
The sculpture of the Grave Houses in the
Central Highlands
Prehistory
The prehistory covers the period from the
Nui Do culture, 300,000 years ago, to the
Dong Son culture, 2,500 years ago. Cultural
activities from this time are not clearly
known, nor are the artistic practices.
There are no prehistoric sculptures, only
expressions or manifestations. For example,
a 10,000- year- old carving of three human
faces and a wild animal can be found in Dong
Noi Grotto(Lac Thuy District, Hoa Binh
Province). Small ceramic and stone carvings
have also been uncovered at archaeological
digs in Phung Nguyen, Dong Dau, and Go Mun.
The Dong Son culture is famous for its
kettledrums, small carvings fastened to
objects of worship, and home utensils, which
have handles sculpted in the shape of men,
elephants, toads, and tortoises.
Sculpture of Grave Houses in the Central
Highlands
The five provinces of Gia Lai, Kon Tum, Dak
Lak, Dak Nong and Lam Dong are located in
the highlands of south-west Vietnam where a
brilliant culture of Southeast Asian and
Polynesian nations lived. The linguistic
families of the Mon-Khmer and
Malay-Polynesian played the main role in the
formation of the language of the Central
Highlands, as well as the traditional
customs, which have remained very popular
among the scattered communities of the
region.
Mourning houses erected to honour the dead
of the Gia Rai and Ba Na ethnic groups are
symbolised by statues placed in front of the
graves. These statues include couples
embracing, pregnant women, and people in
mourning, elephants, and birds.
Cham Sculptures
The association between the two Cham clans
of Cau and Dua led to the establishment of a
feudal state, which was heavily influenced
by Hinduism. The royal kingdom of Champa
took shape in what is now South Vietnam.
This ancient country was dispersed along the
coastline.
Archaeologists believe the kingdom began to
develop during the second century, but it
was only during the 7th and 8th
centuries that the presently-found forms of
Cham architecture and sculpture were
created; this time period is closely linked
to movements of Buddhism and Hinduism.
The Chams possessed astounding creative
ability and produced magnificent works of
art and architecture. The most magnificent
remains of the Cham civilisation can be
found in Amaravati (Quang Nam Province),
Vijaya (Binh Dinh Province), Kanthara (Nha
Trang) and Paduranaga (Phan Rang).
Sculptures were harmoniously laid together
in architectural complexes, which were based
on the distinct functions of particular
towers.
The development of Cham sculpture is divided
into six main periods:
- My Son E1(first half of the 8th
century).
- Hoa Lai (first half of the 9th
century).
- Dong Duong (end of the 9th
century).
- Tra Kieu(end of the 9th century
and beginning of the 10th
century).
- Thap Mam (12th and 13th
centuries).
- Poklong Gialai (end of the 13th
century to the 16th century).
In 1470, Emperor Le Thanh Tong conquered the
South and was followed by Vietnamese
immigrants who were encouraged by the Nguyen
lords to move. Since that time, the art of
the Chams remains as a tribute to the
outstanding heritage of their splendid past.
Ly Dynasty (1010 - 1225)
Dai Viet became an independent, powerful
state after Ly Cong Uan came to the throne
and moved the nation’s capital from Hoa Lu
to Thang Long (present-day Hanoi). Buddhism
became the national religion, and it
gradually became a part of everyday life.
Buddhist centers formed in Quang Ninh, Ha
Nam, Nam Dinh, and,especially in Bac Ninh
Province.
The native area of the Ly Dynasty was built
in the traditional architectural style of
Southeast Asia. During this time, pagodas
were generally built in grades, with high
towers and statues of Buddha at the centre.
The statue of Amida Buddha in the Phat Tich
Pagoda (built in 1057) was one of the first
works of Buddhist sculpture in the north. A
monument found at the Dam Pagoda (built in
1086) is derived from the Cham symbols of
Linga and Yoni. At 5.4m high, this is an
imposing work.
Tran Dynasty (1225 - 1426)
The Tran Dynasty, which followed the
crumbling of the Ly Dynasty, continued the
development of Vietnamese feudalism.
Victorious resistance against Mongolian
invaders in 1258 and 1288 preserved the
independence of the country and had a deep
influence on literature and arts. At the
same time, war ravaged the country, limiting
artistic creation. Buddhism continued to be
widespread; however, pagodas of this period
were not as fantastic as previously
constructed pagodas. Numerous lotus form
rectangular bases for statues were produced
that can presently be found in pagodas in
Thay, Boi Khe, and Duong Lieu.
Woodcarvings and engravings with subjects of
dancing dragons and fig tree leaves can be
found in Pho Minh Pagoda (Nam Dinh Province)
and Thai Lac (Hung Yen Province). In the
mausoleums of the Tran Dynasty, stone
sculptures are mainly of men and animals
paying respect to the royal family. The
statues of tigers in Tran Thu Do’s mausoleum
(one of the founders of the Tran Dynasty)
and the statues of buffaloes and dogs in
Tran Hien Tong’s mausoleum are the first
forms of sculpture in Vietnam’s tombs.
Le Dynasty (1427 - 1527)
For 100 years from the beginning of the Le
Dynasty, Buddhism gradually integrated into
all the villages and hamlets, and
Confucianism began to play an important role
in royal matters and in the agricultural
economy. Relations between farmers and
landlords flourished. However, aside from
the three impressive stone statues erected
at the Ngoc Kham Pagoda (Bac Ninh Province)
at the beginning of the Le Dynasty, the
image of the Buddhist sculpture faded out.
Instead, Buddhist sculptures were replaced
by magnificent works on the mausoleums and
tombs of the Le emperors in Lam Son (Thanh
Hoa Province). Following the style of
Emperor Le Thai To’s Mausoleum, built in
1433, eight mausoleums for kings and two for
queens were built. They had square surfaces
with a path in the middle for the gods to
run through. Along the sides, there were two
rows of statues of mandarins, unicorns,
horses and tigers.
After 20 years of war with the Chinese Ming
occupation (1407–1427), the country was
devastated. Numerous products were stolen,
temples and pagodas were destroyed, and
skilled workers were captured and
transferred to China. Emperor Le employed
farmers from neighbouring villages to carve
statues and to build mausoleums. As a
result, the new monarchy saw the production
of relatively poor quality sculptures.
Le - Trinh - Tay Son
The Mac Dynasty, which lasted from 1528 to
1598, followed the Le Dynasty. A new style
of commercial house sculpture (dinh lang),
which was a stark contrast to previous
religious and feudal works, developed
throughout the countryside.
In the 17th century, Nguyen lords
came into power and conquered the South.
Seven conflicts broke out between the Trinh
and Nguyen families during this century.
Buddhism was restored and was considered the
salvation of the people’s spirits. Over the
next 200 years, culture and arts developed
and reached high levels of prosperity.
Sculptures became more and more diverse and
included Buddhist sculptures in village
pagodas, sculptures of native religious
beliefs in temples, and sculptures for the
mausoleums and tombs of the emperors and
mandarins of the Le and Trinh dynasties.
The statue of the goddess Kuanin with 1,000
eyes and 1,000 arms in the Ha Pagoda (Vinh
Phuc Province) is a fine example of the
grandiose sculptural work of the 16th
century. The Kuanin statue in But Thap
Pagoda (in Bac Ninh Province) is symbolic of
17thcentury work. The statue is
3.7m in height, and features 48 large arms
and 952 smaller ones, all of which are
bunched, together in a dark ring around the
eyes.
Sculptures featured in commercial houses,
such as in Phu Lac, Chu Quyen, Tho Tang,
Lien Hiep and Huong Loc, are full of
vitality and have liberal features and
imposing structures. The identities and
styles are a mix of deity and Buddhist
images, commercial life, and agriculture.
Nguyen Dynasty (1802 - 1945)
The Nguyen Dynasty saw the transfer of the
capital from Hanoi to Hue, and the building
of a grandiose imperial city and a complex
of mausoleums and tombs. The sculptures of
these feudal mausoleums and tombs are
considered to be artistically weak and
rigid.
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